National Security Council (NSC)

Context:

The Centre has appointed Rajinder Khanna, former RAW chief, as Additional National Security Adviser (ANSA), a newly created post.

Key Changes in the Structure of NSCS

• Restructuring: The Centre has restructured the reporting relationships within the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and between the National Security Advisor (NSA) and the Union ministries.
• Expanded Role of NSA: The NSA now presides over a larger organization, with an ANSA and three deputy NSAs, shifting towards a more advisory and less operational role.
• Reporting Hierarchy: The NSA interacts with advisory bodies like the National Security Advisory Board and the Strategic Policy Group. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), three service chiefs, and various Union secretaries report to the NSA alongside daily ministerial reporting.
• ANSA’s Role: The ANSA acts as the gatekeeper in the communication chain between six mid-level unit heads (three deputy NSAs and three service officers) and the NSA.

National Security Advisor (NSA)

• Role: The NSA is the senior member of the Indian National Security Council and the Prime Minister’s principal foreign and national security policy advisor.
• Functions: Receives all intelligence reports from R&AW and IB, coordinates their presentation to the PM, participates in high-level diplomatic conversations on security issues, and serves as the Secretary of the Prime Minister-led National Security Council.

National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)

• Oversight: Overseen by the Prime Minister with the NSA as its secretary, serving as the apex body for internal and external security matters.
• Verticals:
  1. Strategic Planning
  2. Internal Affairs
  3. Intelligence and Technology
  4. Military

National Security Council (NSC)

• Overview: A three-tiered organization overseeing political, economic, energy, and security issues of strategic concern, established by the Vajpayee government in 1998 post-nuclear tests by India & Pakistan.
• Function: Operates within the executive office of the Prime Minister, liaising between the government’s executive branch and intelligence services, and advising leadership on intelligence and security issues.
• Members: NSA, Deputy and Additional National Security Advisors, Ministers of Defence, External Affairs, Home, Finance, and the Vice Chairman of the NITI Aayog, with no military representation in this tier.
• Leadership: Headed by the Prime Minister, with the NSA acting as the secretary (first NSA was Brajesh Mishra).
• Location: Headquarters in New Delhi
• Objective: Provide authoritative and holistic assessments of India’s security challenges across military, internal security, economic, technological, and external relations domains.

Organisational Structure

1. Strategic Policy Group (SPG)
   • Function: Principal mechanism for inter-ministerial coordination and integration of relevant inputs in formulating national security policies.
   • Leadership: Headed by the NSA, previously by the Cabinet Secretary.
   • Members: Includes chiefs of the Armed Forces, Intelligence Bureau, and Research and Analysis Wing.
   • Task: Makes policy recommendations to the National Security Council, with the Cabinet Secretary coordinating implementation by Union Ministries, departments, and State governments.
2. National Security Advisory Board (NSAB)
   • Advisory Role: Advises the Council on issues relating to national security referred by the Council.
   • Composition: Consists of a convenor and experts in foreign affairs, external security, defence, armed forces, strategic analysis, etc.
   • Function: Undertakes long-term analysis and provides perspectives on national security issues.
   • First Setup: Established in 1998 with K. Subrahmanyam as its convener.